Mandevilla plant named ‘Pink Velvet’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant named ‘Pink Velvet’, characterized by its upright vining growth habit; glossy, dark green-colored leaves; dark pink-colored flowers with imbricate petals with ruffled margins; and tolerance to low and high temperatures.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Mandevilla hybridcultivar Pink Velvet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofMandevilla plant, botanically known as Mandevilla hybrid, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pink Velvet’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Hawthorne, Fla. The objective of the breeding programwas to develop new Mandevilla cultivars with attractive flower form andcoloration.

The new cultivar originated from a self-pollination of the Mandevillahybrid cultivar Alice DuPont, not patented, in Hawthorne, Fla., in 1996.The new cultivar was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny from this self-pollination in acontrolled environment in Hawthorne, Fla., in 2000. The new cultivar wasselected on the basis of its flower form and flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inHawthorne, Fla., since spring, 2000, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Mandevilla are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Pink Velvet have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Pink Velvet’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Pink Velvet’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Upright vining growth habit.

2. Glossy, dark green-colored leaves.

3. Dark pink-colored flowers with imbricate petals with ruffled margins.

4. Tolerant to low and high temperatures.

Plants of the new Mandevilla are most similar to plants of the parentcultivar, ‘Alice DuPont’. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inHawthorne, Fla., plants of the new Mandevilla differed from plants ofthe cultivar Alice DuPont in the following characteristics:

1. Leaves of plants of the new Mandevilla were smaller, smoother andglossier than leaves of plants of the cultivar Alice DuPont.

2. Plants of the new Mandevilla had smaller flowers than plants of thecultivar Alice DuPont.

3. Flower petals of plants of the new Mandevilla were more overlappingthan flower petals of plants of the cultivar Alice DuPont.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Mandevilla.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Pink Velvet’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowersand leaves of ‘Pink Velvet’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thisdescription were about one year old and grown in one-gallon containersin an outdoor nursery in Dallas/Fort Worth, Tex. area during the summer.Day temperatures ranged from 27 to 35° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 21 to 27° C.

Botanical classification: Mandevilla hybrid cultivar Pink Velvet.

Parentage: Self-pollination of Mandevilla hybrid cultivar Alice DuPont,not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 21 days at 27° C.

Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 30 days at 21° C.

Time to develop roots, summer.—About 60 days at 27 to 32° C.

Time to develop roots, winter.—About 67 days at 24° C.

Root description.—Numerous, thick, fibrous and freely branching.

Plant description:

Form.—Perennial evergreen flowering plant; twining vine; initiallyupright, then vining, requires support to maintain upright habit. Plantsare typically pinched about three months after planting to enhancelateral branch development; potentially two lateral branches form atevery node.

Plant height (length).—About one meter.

Plant diameter.—About 35 cm.

Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 95 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internodelength: About 10 cm. Shape: Round in cross-section. Aspect: Initiallyupright, then trailing, requires support. Strength: Flexible, moderatelystrong. Texture: Rough; very fine white pubescence. Color: Young stems:144A. Mature stems: Close to 148A occasionally overlain with close to165A.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, opposite; generally symmetrical andlong-persisting. Length: About 16.5 cm. Width: About 8.7 cm. Shape:Elongated oblong. Apex: Acute to mostly cuspidate. Base: Cordate.Margin: Entire. Texture: Rugose, leathery, durable; both surfaces,glabrous. Luster: Upper surface, glossy; lower surface, somewhat glossy.Venation pattern: Pinnate. Petiole length: About 1 cm. Petiole diameter:About 5 mm. Petiole texture, upper surface: Slightly pubescent. Petioletexture, lower surface: Glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expandedfoliage, upper surface: More green than 147A. Developing and fullyexpanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface:Lateral veins, close to 147A; midvein, close to 146B to 146C. Venation,lower surface: Lateral veins, close to 147B to 147C; midvein, close to150D. Petiole, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A to 146B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single slaverform flower; terminal or axillary;flowers face mostly outward. Flowers self-cleaning. Freely flowering,more than 30 flowers per plant develop during the flowering season.

Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; floweringcontinuous.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About one to two weeks.

Fragrance.—Very faint, sweet.

Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused, five-parted; petalsimbricate; flowers star-shaped; petal color iridescent. Diameter: About8.7 cm. Depth (length): About 5.3 cm. Corolla tube length: About 3.6 cm.Throat diameter: About 1.7 cm. Tube diameter, base: About 3 mm.

Flower buds (just before opening).—Length: About 5.5 mm. Diameter: About1.7 cm. Shape: Oblong. Color: Close to 62A overlain with 57A.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five petals, fused intoflared trumpet; overlapping. Petal length: About 7.3 cm. Petal width:About 3 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate. Petal apex: Acute withcuspidate tendencies. Petal margin: Entire; undulate, ruffledappearance. Petal texture: Smooth, velvety. Color: Petal, upper surface,when opening and fully opened: Closest to 57A; towards the margins,close to 57B. Petal, lower surface, when opening and fully opened: 57Ato 57C. Tube, fully opened: 57A; towards the base, close to 155Doverlain with 57A. Throat, fully opened: 57A; towards the base, close to9A.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Five per flower in a single whorl;fused, campanulate; reflexed. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm.Shape: Elongated, linear. Apex: Sharply acute. Margin: Entire. Texture:Smooth, slightly waxy. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B; towardsapex, overlain with close to 53A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Angle: Bent.Strength: Flexible, but strong. Color: Initially 144A; with development,overlain with 46A to 53A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five; filaments fused tocorolla. Anther shape: Oblong, elongated. Anther size: About 5 mm by 2mm. Anther color: 8C. Pollen: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: One.Pistil length: About 2.1 cm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Closeto 155D. Style color: Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 144A to 144B.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have not beennoted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Mandevilla.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have been observedto be tolerant to rain and wind and tolerant to temperatures from zeroto higher than 43° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant named‘Pink Velvet’, as illustrated and described.